1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sealed system for facilitating the safe transfer of hazardous radioactive or chemical or biological material or other hazardous material through a port in the floor of a containment enclosure to a storage container for transport to a permanent storage area. Through the years thousands of tons of low level radioactive and other hazardous waste material, often of unknown composition, has accumulated at temporary storage sites. There is now a mandated need to inspect and classify this hazardous material and repackage it for long term safe storage without contamination of the outside surfaces of the repackaged containers, or exposure of workmen to hazardous environments. The objective of the present invention is to accomplish these ends.
2. The Prior Art
Cazalis U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,698 discloses one means for effecting a leak-tight coupling between two environments without contamination of one by the other.
Eisert U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,010,588 and 4,141,609 disclose systems for effecting access into sealed enclosures, as with gloves, without exposing the interior of the enclosure to the outside atmosphere, or vise versa.
One commercially available system for the safe transfer of hazardous waste is the Double Lid System available from Radwaste Conditioning Ltd. of Wood Dale, Ill. 60191.